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Eleutheroi (Alps)
Kluddacorii (Alpine Shortswordsmen) Tribes from the Alps and some nearby territories have swordsmen of their own, the Kluddacorii (Klod-ah-kur-ee-eye; Sword-Band). The swords in such places have a broader, somewhat shorter blade, reminiscent of much older styles of sword. These men often wear little in a battle, removing anything that might act as a hinderance but for trousers and their shoes much of the time, and fight using a powerful charge in an attempt to overwhelm an enemy position, or break a gap in an opposing line, after throwing their javelins. Such tribes are high-spirited and very eager to fight given the chance, so they have decent morale, but their lack of armor is a detriment in a prolonged engagement, or if they should be flanked. The territories they come from have allowed them experience fighting in woods and hills where they have grown accustom to techniques for ambushing if they have to. Historically, the Alpine tribes, at least, the well-developed ones, and some of their neighbors, used weaponry that was in an older-style long after other Celts had been moving toward newer designs. This does not mean they were of poorer quality though; the Noricans had famously strong, high-quality weapons. It simply means the appearance recalled an earlier time in their development. Such swords are shorter, with a sharp point, and a broad-base, making the blade almost triangular, such as was common of Celtic daggers and knives. Warriors carrying such swords would not have to be exceedingly wealthy, and likely would fall into the middle class, composed of professional and semi-professional warriors, adventurers, and mercenaries. Caturige Gaedann (Caturiges Warriors) The Gaedann (Guy-dun; "Spear Carriers") are warriors of the savage and fierce Caturiges. These alpine warriors are hardy and capable of shattering enemies with a fierce charge. They employ javelins and thrusting spears, and defend themselves with fair quality shields, and Celtic bronze chest plates. In the employ of others, they can be used to fill combat roles of both shock infantry, and ambushers in more heavily forested regions. However, they are very undisciplined and prone to charging before ordered to do so, which can be unhelpful at times. Historically, alpine tribes in Gaul were always generally a bit behind or unusual in their development compared to their neighbors. This gave them a savage, uncivilized reputation; not necessarily a bad thing in combat. Despite this, some of these tribes developed reputations for rather civilized things, such as fine wines. All the same, these things are usually overshadowed by their reputation for brutality and eagerness to fight. Mori Gaesum (Helvetii Phalanx) The Mori Gaesum ("Sea Of Spears") is an elite mercenary unit of Helvetii origin. The Helvetii tribes are more known for their fierceness than their unity. As such, much of the great warriors of each tribe sell their services to the highest bidders. Some of these men are used to face Hellenic armies and, consequently, have incorporated some of their enemy's tactics in to their own. They use the familiar phalanx tactic to engage and tire the enemies before switching to their sword and shield to finish them off. This method, together with their well known fierceness and skill, make them a frightening opponent for any enemy army. Though not the equal of the Greeks or Macedonians in phalanx warfare, the Mori Gaesum can compensate that with superior swordsmanship, aggressiveness and experience. Appea Gaedotos (Alpine Phalanx) The alpine tribes experienced a great deal of influence from the Hellenes and Italians. The Appea Gaedotos (Ap-ee-ah Guy-doo-tos; Spear Carriers) use a type of spear wall, and carry a very bizarre shield, as well as a battle axe for close combat fighting. They are solid soldiers, and should be able to stand rather well in combat, and a phalanx is always good when combatting mounted enemies, as well as defending against light infantry. In close combat, their battle axes can crush through armor, making them very capable, and they wear linen armor of Etruscan design, so they are readily able to defend themselves. Historically, the Alps were home to many tribes, both Celtic and non-Celtic. Both, however, used a share of one another's weapons, as well as weapons and tactics from Greece and the Italian peninsula. These soldiers would be, in essence, a type of imitation hoplite, with influences from the alpine tribes. Due to their climate, they would've been very hardy soldiers; coupled with their culture, which glorified combat to a great extent, these would have been truly fearsome warriors. Noricene Gaecori (Noricum Spearmen) Noricene Gaecorii (Guy-kur-ee-eye; "Spear Troop") are a product of Celtic, Italic, and Hellenistic influences present in Noricum. They are essentially a Celtic warband, but their oval shield is reinforced. These men are semi-professional soldiers, not levies, despite their simple armaments. They are from the mountains, and, as such, are more resilient to the natural elements than most, and are quite hardy. Their throwing spears aren't of the greatest quality, but they can soften an enemy before they charge. Historically, Noricum was the product of a Celtic culture absorbing many Hellenic and Italic influences. They were very much Celtic, but the clear Hellenic and Italic influences evidenced themselves in the use of various phalanx tactics they used, and linothorax armor, as well as other developments. These warriors were 'basic' soldiers, but comparatively well trained compared to other Celtic warbands. They would be well trained and somewhat disciplined, and capable of softening foes before the actual soldiers engaged them, or engaging lighter enemies by themselves. Tekastos (Rhaetic Axemen) The Raetians are a very bizarre alpine people; raiders often, and have repeatedly attracted ire from Celts. The Tekastos (tek-as-tus; Axe Carriers) form the basic warbands of the Raetians. They carry a Raetian battle axe to crush through armor, and two javelins in the manner of Italic pila, and wear linen armor of Etruscan design, as well as a helmet. This sturdy, unique warband can be very useful as shock troops, with weapons made to allow them to stand against superiorly armored enemies. Historically, the Raetians were a collection of tribes in the Alps. They were famed for the quality of their wine, but were mostly treated with no small amount of distaste and ire. Like other enemies of the Celts, they adopted many Celtic weapons and pieces of armor out of a necessity to modernize to new threats. However, they also had a great deal of unique looking equipment; meshes of Italic, Hellenic, Celtic, and Hallstatt influences, and were especially fond of their own local axes, which varied between a number of designs. Category:Eleutheroi